CARRABASSETT VALLEY, Maine — With temperatures creeping into the low 90s, Shawn Warren of Nonesuch River Golf Club in Scarborough fired a blistering 69 in the first round of the State of Maine Championship at Sugarloaf Golf Club Tuesday.

Warren finished the day one stroke ahead of 2013 runner-up Jeff Seavey.

Seavey, a club professional at the Samoset Resort in Rockland, won the tournament in 2010 and 2011, and was runner-up last year after his putt on the first playoff hole missed by inches.

Warren was hot right out of the gate, notching three birdies over the first five holes.The opposite was true for Seavey, who started the day with a bogey 5 on the first hole, but found his stroke and recorded three birdies on the front nine.

Seavey and Warren were the only two golfers to finish the day under par.

David Grygiel of Tee N’ Tee Golfland stands in third place with a 1-over-par 73, while amateur Will Kannegieser shot a 2-over-par 74 to take sole possession of fourth. Amateur Michael Nowak rounded out the top five with a 3-over-par 75.

Warren has a history of fast starts in the State of Maine Championship, but has yet to win it. He has been the first-round leader for three of the past four years, including 2010 when he was runner-up to Seavey.

Defending champion John Hickson of Dick’s Sporting Goods is nine-strokes back after a first-round 78 put him in a tie for 10th.

The final round begins Wednesday morning.

Jones misses cut at Publinx

Thomaston golfer Ricky Jones recorded a 1-under par 69 in the first round, but followed with a an 8-over 78 on the second round to miss the cut Tuesday for the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship at Laurel Hill Golf Club in Lorton, Va.

Canadian golfer Garrett Rank notched the best score of the first two rounds of the tourney, with an 8-under 132, followed by Ian Davis of Edmond, Okla. (134) and Eric Sugimoto of San Diego (135).

The tourney moves to a round of 64 in match play on Wednesday, with play continuing through Saturday’s championship match.